Foundation for the Preservation of the Mahayana Tradition

The FPMT is an organization devoted to preserving and spreading Mahayana Buddhism worldwide by creating opportunities to listen, reflect, meditate, practice and actualize the unmistaken teachings of the Buddha and based on that experience spreading the Dharma to sentient beings. We provide integrated education through which people’s minds and hearts can be transformed into their highest potential for the benefit of others, inspired by an attitude of universal responsibility and service. We are committed to creating harmonious environments and helping all beings develop their full potential of infinite wisdom and compassion. Our organization is based on the Buddhist tradition of Lama Tsongkhapa of Tibet as taught to us by our founders Lama Thubten Yeshe and Lama Thubten Zopa Rinpoche.

Be as careful as you can. Our minds are funny. Sometimes we are skeptical of things that are really worthwhile and completely accepting of things that we should avoid. Try to avoid extremes and follow the middle way, checking with wisdom wherever you go.

The Foundation Store is FPMT’s online shop and features a vast selection of Buddhist study and practice materials written or recommended by our lineage gurus. These items include homestudy programs, prayers and practices in PDF or eBook format, materials for children, and other resources to support practitioners.

Lama Zopa Rinpoche recently encouraged all students to keep copies of Lama Atisha’s Protection Stupa in their homes and offices to protect them from heavy mental pollution:

“My dear students looking for liberation and enlightenment for sentient beings,

“It is extremely important to have an image of this stupa with mantras because its benefits of giving protection come from Lama Atisha of Nalanda, where there were 300 great scholars and holy beings.

“The purpose of keeping an image of this stupa in your house or in your room is to protect you from the mental pollution, not yet discovered in the West, from those who, in particular, have broken samaya with their guru, belittled their guru, given rise to heresy or anger towards their guru, or who, after making a Dharma connection through receiving a lung, commentary, initiation, or vows, gave up their guru. These create so much mental pollution, which is the heaviest negative karma.

“If you meet, talk to, or receive teachings from that person, or bring other people to a place where that person has been, your mind gets polluted. You lose your spiritual achievements, your mind becomes more negative, it becomes more difficult for you to achieve realizations, and you get reborn in the lower realms. It is very dangerous.

“Also, the places where that person has been become polluted. The previous Kyabje Zong Rinpoche told us, during the First Dharma Celebration, that even the tap water in a place where that person has been becomes polluted. If you drink it, you get polluted, you lose any spiritual progression you have made, your mind degenerates, and you go to the lower realms.

“The external pollution from a car doesn’t cause you to be reborn in the lower realms, but this pollution does.

“You can also wear the image of this stupa as a protection amulet so that wherever you go, you are protected from this pollution.

“This is very important. It would be good for every FPMT center, service, and project to have this image in its gompa, office, or other public rooms, and on every level of its buildings.

“If you are new to Buddhism and don’t understand this, it doesn’t matter; just keep it in your room for the benefit of other people.”

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About FPMT

Foundation for the Preservation of the Mahayana Tradition (FPMT) is an organization devoted to the transmission of the Mahayana Buddhist tradition and values worldwide through teaching, meditation and community service. more…

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If you're new to Buddhism, please read our Buddhism FAQ. A place to learn about Buddhism in general, FPMT, and our Discovering Buddhism at Home series.